Hiruko

The next day, while the Third Hokage was fretting over Jiraiya's situation,

a figure appeared at the entrance to the Hokage's office, travel-worn and visibly tired, yet with eyes so bright he seemed almost feverish.

Jiraiya, who had been missing for an entire day...

"Yo! Old Man! Tsunade! Orochimaru! I'm back!"

Jiraiya pushed the door open with a booming voice and an air of carefree confidence.

The three people in the office all turned to look at him.

"Hey, what happened to you? Why do you look so filthy?

Did you fall into a cesspit or something?"

Tsunade looked Jiraiya up and down, pinching her nose as she asked.

"Hmph. This great Jiraiya went somewhere incredible!"

Jiraiya chuckled. He didn't mind Tsunade's remark; instead, he puffed out his chest and spoke proudly.

"Oh?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was curious. Had Jiraiya found a powerful summon?

Orochimaru already knew. If he wasn't mistaken, Jiraiya had gone to Mount Myoboku.

"Heh heh, it's called Mount Myoboku!

A whole bunch of incredibly powerful toads live there! I even signed a contract with them!"

Jiraiya said mysteriously.

"Mount Myoboku?!

Y-You mean the legendary summoning-beast Sacred Land, Mount Myoboku?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shot to his feet, his face filled with shock and disbelief.

As the Third Hokage, he had access to far more secrets than ordinary people and had naturally heard of Mount Myoboku.

It was a place that existed only in legends. He couldn't believe that his seemingly unreliable student had stumbled upon such an incredible opportunity!

"That's right! Mount Myoboku! The Toad Boss there is the Toad Sage, who's lived for who knows how many years. He's incredibly powerful!"

Seeing his teacher's astonished expression, Jiraiya grew even prouder.

Tsunade stopped joking and stared at Jiraiya in surprise.

She didn't know what Mount Myoboku was, but from Teacher Sarutobi's expression, it had to be somewhere remarkable.

Orochimaru was excited, too. Mount Myoboku, the Toad Sage... Just as he'd thought, the story was still unfolding along its established path.

That meant he now had material for researching Senjutsu, didn't it?

Jiraiya's extraordinary experience caused a brief stir, but life soon returned to its usual rhythm.

Tsunade gradually became absorbed in a sea of knowledge, suffering and enjoying it in equal measure.

As for Orochimaru, he began another important task: raising funds.

An independent laboratory and advanced equipment—everything cost money.

The Dean had provided him with a supplier, but he still had to work out the funding himself.

And so, the casinos around Konoha once again welcomed that legendary figure, "Akagi Shigeru."

With gambling tricks and psychological knowledge far beyond anything known in this era, Orochimaru, in the guise of "Akagi Shigeru," was practically unbeatable at the tables.

In just a few short weeks, the name "Ghost God Akagi Shigeru" had spread through the casinos around Konoha.

Of course, he knew this wasn't a proper way to do things. But his priority was to get the laboratory up and running as soon as possible, so he could put his research on track.

One day, after depositing his casino winnings in the bank, Orochimaru headed back to his residence, pondering where to set up the laboratory.

As he passed a remote training ground, a commotion caught his attention.

"Hey, Hiruko! You useless loser!"

"You can't even do the simplest Clone Technique. You still think you can be a ninja?"

"Why don't you go home and drink your milk? Hahaha!"

Several older children surrounded a white-haired boy, mocking him without restraint.

The boy hung his head, his fists clenched tight. His body trembled faintly, his face was pale and his lips pressed together, but he didn't say a word.

The white-haired boy did look rather frail, especially beside the other energetic children.

Hiruko...

At the name, Orochimaru stopped in his tracks.

He looked at the white-haired boy in the middle of the group, recalling who he was.

Hiruko had graduated from the Ninja Academy in the same class as him.

Because of his poor health, Hiruko had no talent for ninjutsu training. Everyone, even his teachers, thought he had no future.

But Orochimaru knew what path this seemingly frail boy would one day take.

The Chimera Technique!

A forbidden technique that fused multiple Kekkei Genkai in a desperate attempt to obtain perfect power!

Although he'd been a movie villain who was beaten by Naruto's Rasengan, his talent for biological modification and forbidden-technique research was undeniable!

And it seemed that the reason he'd become a movie villain was that his poor health had dealt him a crushing blow. Eventually, it had sparked his desire for power and driven him to modify his own body.

He'd gone down the wrong path, but he'd still managed to bring his work to fruition. If Orochimaru could guide him a little...

At the thought, Orochimaru's eyes lit up.

The ninja in Naruto thought of nothing but fighting. Research-minded talent like this was rare.

He needed assistants—people who could understand his research and help him with it.

And wasn't this seemingly unremarkable Hiruko the perfect candidate?

"What are you doing?"

With that, Orochimaru walked over and interrupted the children's jeering.

The sudden voice startled them. When they turned around, they saw a black-haired boy with a cool, composed air. His golden, snake-like eyes were so sharp that they felt a little afraid.

"I-It's Orochimaru!"

One of the children recognized him and stammered.

Orochimaru was famous at the Ninja Academy. Everyone knew he was a genius.

"N-Nothing..."

Another child quickly waved his hands, then tugged at his companion, trying to slip away.

Orochimaru ignored the kids as they fled in panic and turned his gaze to Hiruko, who was still looking down.

Hm?

Hiruko suddenly looked up, gazing at Orochimaru with resentment.

The boy before him was nothing like him. He'd graduated from the Ninja Academy at the top of his class and become a student of the Third Hokage.

They were the same age, yet so different...

At the thought, Hiruko clenched his fists.

"Heh. You're sick of being so weak, aren't you?"

Orochimaru smiled at the sight. He walked up to Hiruko, crouched down in front of him, and looked into his gray eyes as they darted away in self-consciousness.

"..."

At those words, Hiruko's face darkened.

Of course he was sick of it. But his frustration changed nothing!

Because of the way he'd been born, he had less Chakra and worse physical abilities than everyone else!

He was like a disabled person trying to run—completely absurd!

"Did you come here to laugh at me, Orochimaru?!

You probably don't even know who I am, do you?"

Hiruko took a deep breath and asked him.

"No, I know who you are, Hiruko."

Orochimaru shook his head and replied.

Hiruko's whole body stiffened as he stared at Orochimaru in disbelief.

He... he knew who I was?

How was that possible?

At the Ninja Academy, Orochimaru was famous for being aloof. No one had ever seen him talk to anyone, and he always went home alone after class.

How could someone like that know his name? Had he heard it from those kids just now?

"The one who comes right after me in every theory exam—that's you, right?"

Orochimaru's voice was calm, but his words struck Hiruko like a bolt of lightning.

Theory exams...

Hiruko's eyes instantly welled with tears.

That was right. He wasn't good at ninjutsu or Taijutsu. The only thing he had going for him was his academic performance.

Because he was in poor health, he had plenty of time to read. He'd read almost every book he could find in the library.

But what good was that? In the end, a ninja's strength was what mattered.

No matter how good his grades were, they couldn't change the fact that he was at the bottom of the class.

He'd always thought no one would notice a loser like him, who was good for nothing but theory.

But...

Orochimaru... actually remembered him.

He remembered the one thing Hiruko was good at...

A warmth he'd never felt before welled up inside him. Hiruko's nose stung, and he nearly burst into tears.

"I-It was me..."

Hiruko sniffed hard, his little face twisting with emotion.

"Uh..."

Orochimaru froze at the sight. Why was the kid crying all of a sudden?

He'd been about to say that he admired Hiruko's ability to learn and wanted to teach him biology~

"Ahem. A ninja's strength doesn't come only from ninjutsu and Taijutsu.

Wisdom and knowledge are also important parts of strength."

Orochimaru looked at Hiruko's eyes, where a little of their light had returned, and continued.

Knowledge... and wisdom?

Hiruko stared blankly at Orochimaru, as if seeing him for the first time.

Orochimaru had the power of ninjutsu like everyone else, yet he was saying that knowledge and wisdom mattered, too.

This was the first time!

The first time anyone had said something like that to him!

He wasn't being mocked for his frailty or pitied for his lack of talent. Instead, Orochimaru was recognizing his knowledge and his hard work!

And the one saying it was the genius Orochimaru!

Hiruko's heart pounded. His cheeks flushed with excitement, and tears streamed down them again.

"Uh..."

Seeing Hiruko's reaction, Orochimaru's eye twitched.

He didn't really understand. He'd only wanted to invite Hiruko to join his research team. Was there any need to get this worked up?

"Ahem. Anyway, Hiruko, would you like to... research Medical Ninjutsu with me?"

Orochimaru cleared his throat. Though he didn't quite understand Hiruko's reaction, he still extended the invitation.

"Research... Medical Ninjutsu?"

Hiruko was stunned. Orochimaru was inviting him to research Medical Ninjutsu together.

"That's right. Medical Ninjutsu doesn't require a huge amount of Chakra. A deep understanding of human anatomy, pharmacology, and pathology can also be a major advantage.

With your ability to learn, you could accomplish a great deal in this field..."

Orochimaru nodded and continued.

"I... I'd love to!"

Before Orochimaru could finish, Hiruko cut him off, his eyes shining with an unprecedented resolve.

He'd never imagined that someone like him could be needed, that anyone could have such high hopes for him.

"Uh..."

Looking at the boy trembling with excitement, Orochimaru scratched his head.

He'd secured his first research assistant, hadn't he?